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Taste With Tori: 19 Bella

 

CEDARS, Pa. (CBS) --  If you like a dash of art with your dinner then a Montgomery County restaurant may be the ticket.

It's  pairing of paintings and Mediterranean cuisine at '19 Bella' by a former big city chef.

Vittoria Woodill has this Taste With Tori.

When you go out to dinner usually you're focused on the menu.

But '19 Bella'  is a restaurant where customers can come and enjoy both the food and the scenery.

This is a place where art comes to life on the walls and on the plates.

"We decided to really focus on the artwork and making this more than just a restaurant, you know, something  more interesting for people," says Chef Grant Brown. "Our china, our silverware, our glassware, it's all eclectic and a little bit different."

Chef Brown has a similar style for his Mediterranean tapas.

"I'm not really interested in subtle food or food that someone has put together with little tweezers on a plate," said Brown who has been executive chef at restaurants in New York and Detroit.

There is nothing subtle about menu items like Spanish shrimp with saffron garlic, smoked salmon with smoked paprika and aioli or a beet salad with a blood orange vinaigrette and pistachios topped with Bulgarian feta cheese.

And then there is Chef Brown's Bernaise sauce which he says was applauded by food critic Craig LaBan.

"Everything about him comes through his food," say Grant's wife Rachel Langdon. "Everything about his love, his integrity, who he is, this is why i love him."

Grant and Rachel have worked for 5 years to have the food and its backdrop breathe inspiration.

Maybe because Grant's not just an artist in the kitchen.

His artwork hangs in the dining rooms of 19 Bella.

"They were painted in '82, '83 as a Christmas present for my mother and father," he said pointing out two of his paintings.

His work on the walls mirror his works of art on the tables each set with mis-matched but beautiful china services.

And waiting on the tables is his son Liam who is also an artist.

"We've been painting together since I was a little kid," said Liam as he sat beside his dad.

Liam is currently in art school when he's not working weekends at the restaurant.

A recent class project inspired by artist Vincent Van Gogh is proudly displayed.

"I was just like oh my God, I said we're going to go frame it right now," said his dad describing what he said the minute he saw Liam's picture.

Liam's inspiration also comes from his father.

"It's the thing that I most admire him for is his ability to go with his passions and that's where I get it," said Liam.  "That's why I decided to make my best effort to be an artist."

And what is  most important thing about being an artist?

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